Ally

I know you all are having a hard time – we all are – and I certainly don't want to erase the reality of the moment, but looking back on my own activism and feminism, I realize that from difficult moments has often come some of my proudest moments.

Physically, I'm very close to the source of it all. 1600 Pennsylvania Ave...316 steps. 2.5 city blocks. A 3 minute stroll or a 1 minute shuffle. I can be there quicker if necessary.

So, I'm here.

I'm here to knuckle up for policy or peaceful protests. I'm here through tear gas, pepper spray, and mass arrests. I'm here to lock arms and "not be moved." And I'm also here...for you, the "us" and "we" who are always the most vulnerable.

This letter is for those who like me, know that their reason for being an American is because someone before them ran towards the hope and promise they believed awaited them in the United States.

In my case, I am the proud granddaughter of a runner. Her running started early, leaving her small, rural coastal Caribbean childhood home in Limón, Costa Rica to the capital of San José. I imagine that at 17, she was running away from strict parents and boredom and running towards excitement and promise in the big city.

A few months ago, during the primary elections, you asked your dad, “If Donald Trump hates women, will he send Mommy away?” Your dad reassured you but later, when you were asleep, I reminded him that while Trump may not send your mommy away, he and his team have threatened to send other people's mommies away.

I am writing my letter to the revolution to you and to you specifically because you are that rare creature, the seeker. You do not really feel comfortable in any group, you do not have an identity made up of 7 adjectives that box you into a group with both the privileges of “Belonging” and the mental suffocation that comes from belonging to a such a “‘group”.

Donald Trump's appointment of climate-change skeptics and deniers to key posts will have an undeniable impact on our environment and our future. While not as strong as they have needed to be, current U.S. commitments to curbing climate change will most likely dwindle away, sending a signal to the rest of the world. Those most affected will be those who have probably contributed the least to climate change: indigenous peoples who live close to their environment.

(You may not think of yourself as an activist yet, but a lot’s going to happen in the next four years, so please hear me out.)

The election of Donald Trump as president of the United States was devastating for so many of us. He’d spent months threatening immigrants, women, people of color, Muslims, and the differently abled, among others. This goes against everything I stand for. But within a few days, my initial feelings of despair began to change into something more powerful and productive: the resolve to resist.

As I write this, you're wandering around the apartment in a half-awake stupor, sipping your green tea, watching the Graham Norton show, or whatever DIY YouTube channel has struck your fancy this morning. We're doing good - more importantly, you're doing good. These first three months of marriage have been, in a word, real. I love you more than ever. And it's so good to see you up and about and smiling.